


Touch and Go

by mydeira, Sadbhyl



Series: Responsible Adults (aka, The Menageaverse) [92]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-11
Updated: 2013-04-11
Packaged: 2017-12-08 04:56:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/757301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydeira/pseuds/mydeira, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sadbhyl/pseuds/Sadbhyl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buffy has been kicked out of the house.  Someone has to tell Spike.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Touch and Go

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published October 27, 2005
> 
> Set at the end of Touched and the beginning of End of Days. You’ll know when. Much thanks to [](http://mydeira.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://mydeira.livejournal.com/)**mydeira** for helping keep this from meandering.

Giles had known the confrontation with Spike would be ugly. He just hadn’t fully appreciated how ugly it could be.

“You sad, sad, ungrateful traitors,” Spike spat out at them, venom infusing every word. Giles had seen the vampire in many moods through their acquaintance, from smug to derisive to downright brassed off. But never had he seen him so coldly angry before. It was no surprise that it took a threat to Buffy to bring it out of him.

“She’s saved your lives again and again,” he continued, lashing out at each of them in turn, the candlelight that was the only source of illumination in the house making his angular face look even more vicious. “She’s _died_ for you. And this is how you thank her? By turning on her?”

Faith stepped forward, seeming willing to take the brunt of his anger. “Just settle down, blondie. You don’t need to get all bent over this.”

Spike turned on her, his eyes narrowing. “This whole thing must have you just tickled. Finally get to play big Slayer on campus now that the real deal’s out of the picture.”

Faith’s fists clenched. “You’re pretty sweet on her, aren’t you?” Her entire posture radiated challenge. “I think it’s cute, the way she’s got you whipped.”

“I’ll show you whipped . . .”

“Enough!”

Joyce’s voice startled them all, stopping Spike before he could finish shifting his weight to lunge at Faith. Joyce pushed through the crowd, standing between Spike and the cluster of Potentials huddled around the kitchen island. “Buffy messed up,” she said to him sternly. “You were there, you saw it. She had the chance to take Ethan down and she didn’t take it. Because of her, three girls died, Rupert was beaten to a pulp and Xander got put in the hospital.” Giles was impressed once again with the power she had over Spike, over all of them, really. They all listened as she verbalized what none of them had been willing to say. “These girls are about to go into the fight of their lives. They need a leader they can trust. Buffy couldn’t do that, Spike, and she knew it. So she left.”

“You’re her mother,” he accused, looking to Giles’ eyes for all the world like a betrayed little boy. “You owed her better than that.”

Joyce seemed to see it, too, her voice softening as she took a step closer to him. “I’m not one of the people who has to die.”

She might have punched him in the gut for the stunned look on his face. Then without another word, he turned and walked out of the house.

Giles saw Joyce’s shoulders sag and knew it wasn’t relief. “All right, show’s over,” he intervened, starting the girls out of the kitchen. “You all need your rest before tomorrow.”

Faith took over. “You heard the Watcher, everybody hit the pillows. We’re up at a stupid hour of the morning. Come on, let’s go.”

It took a few moments for the milling crowd to funnel out, leaving him and Joyce alone in the room.

Giles had her in his arms before the first sob racked her, her shudders making his bruised ribs ache. He just held her close, stroking her hair and whispering softly, soothingly in her ear. They’d spent all too much time doing this lately, each for the other. Sadly, they were starting to get good at it.

“Where do you think she is?” Joyce said quietly as her weeping eased.

“I don’t know,” he said just as softly, staring out the kitchen window into the secretive darkness of night.

“Do you think she’s okay?” Joyce lifted her head to look at him, and the worry he saw there pierced right through him. “What if she runs into a Bringer? Or worse, one of those Turok-han? She’s all alone out there . . .”

He drew her back into his embrace, trying to impart some of his strength to her. “She’s fine. She can certainly take care of herself, especially if she’s not worrying about us. And besides,” he admitted, “if I know Spike, and after all this time, loathe as I am to say it, I do, he will have found her by the end of the night. Don’t worry, she won’t be alone for long.”

“I hope so.” She nestled in tighter and they just held each other like that for a long while, listening to the sounds of the girls settling in for the night. “I wish it were over.” Her voice sounded so small and forlorn in the candlelit darkness. “I just wish it were all over.”

Giles studied the candles burning on the safety of the stovetop. He thought about the lines of cars flowing out of town through the course of the last few days. And he realized that the analogy of sinking ships and rats was all too appropriate.

“It will be. Soon.”

He held her closer, looking for his own comfort in the contact.


End file.
